Hunger

I'm far from starving despite being poor. I've got gastrointestinal problems, though. So I feel hungry all the time as well as in muchos pain. eating hurts but not as much as not eating. I was sitting here feeling sorry for myself until I was reminded of other hunger related stuff that is going on right now. Put things in perspective for me.

FOODBANKS
Foodbanks are on the rise. You must've been living in a cave if you've not heard about this. It seems inconceivable that people are starving in the UK 2013. Children are going to school hungry and it's affecting their grades. In some cases teachers are going out of their way to feed those kids they know are going hungry.
Struggling families and vulnerable individuals are turning to foodbank networks like Trussell Trust and Fare Share. They have had their hands full lately with new foodbanks popping up at an almost alarming rate. In fact the number of foodbanks has trebled in the last year with over half a million people relying on them. There are those too proud to go to foodbanks, waiting for their chance to raid the bins at the back of supermarkets in the dark, Then there are those who simply go without, no family, no support etc.
I've reading posts on my feed from people living on bread and cup soups. There are areas where there are no foodbanks at all. Big black holes in the "safety net". Doesn't anyone upstairs wonder what happens to those souls? Do they care? Doesn't feel like it.

It's not just those bearing the brunt of welfare reform who desperately need this service. Working families are queueing up alongside. Low wages and high living costs means working families have to claim top-up benefits and still can't afford essential food items.
Those that don't have to worry about where their next meal is coming from can't comprehend the situation. It's alien to them. They prefer to blame us for our poverty.
And it bites. For some, the shame is too much. We can thank the right wing press and the coalition for that.

There are foobank links in the left sidebar for anyone looking for information. You can also get food bargains from Approved Food which sells food that is soon to be out of date but is still safe to eat, that's why it's so cheap.


 ATOS HUNGER STRIKE
Other news surrounding hunger is the story of George Rolf, the gentleman currently on hunger strike to highlight the failings in the way the sick and disabled are assessed and dealt with by ATOS and the DWP. This man has been through the mill because of the Atos assessment. Atos and the DWP both say it's the DWP Decision Maker who decides. Although I personally have been told by a DWP staff member that they just rubber stamp the reports they get from Atos. Investigations have shown there are targets despite this being denied by both parties. George is making a huge sacrifice for the sick and disabled of these isles. I am worried for him, I wish he'd take nourishment. But I must praise him for raising awareness of this important issue. You can hear him being interviewed here.

I don't feel very hungry now.